Metallic cartridge belt link



Sept. 18, 1945. D FU S 2,384,827

METALLIC CARTRIDGE BELT LINK Filed Eebi. 25,- 19 45 2 s eets-sheet i Douglas I]- Fucha D. O. FUCHS METALLIC CARTRIDGE BELT LINK Filed Feb. 23, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DuuHlas ELFuchs Patented Sept. 18, 1945 UNITED STATES @ATENT OFFICE.

METALLIC CARTRIDGE BELT-LINK Douglas 0. Fuchs, Rock Island, 111.

Application February 23, 1943, Serial No. 476,858

6 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates generally to ammunition belts for automatic firearms such as the Browning caliber .30 and caliber .5()' machine guns. Heretofore ammunition belts have been constructed of fabric but were found to be objectionable in that they were affected by atmospheric conditions such as moisture content, and the like. Belts of this kind were also found to be objectionable when used with guns mounted on airplanes, inasmuch as after the cartridges were extracted, the danglingv belt sometimes interfered with operation of the airplane.

In order to remedy the above mentioned defects, particularly with respect to ammunition belts for airplane use, ammunition belts were constructed of metallic links, using the cartridges as the pintles between the links. Ammunition belts of this kind are viewed favorably by airplane gunners, inasmuch as the withdrawal of the cartridges for firing permits the belt to disintegrate. Generally, the links for the metallic disintegrating belt are formed from blanks, each blank including two sections for forming two axially-spaced cartridge receiving loops at one side of a connecting portion and a single loop forming element at the other side. Metallic ammunition belts of this character are not aiiected by moisture insofar as they do not stretch or shrink from that cause, yet it is found that metallic ammunition belts will not always function properly due to some yielding in the loops which increases the spacing between cartridges toan extent that the feeding mechanism of the gun cannot function. Another limitation of metallic ammunition belts is found to be the lack of the desired flexibility. For example, during combat the gun has to be swung around into many different positions so that the belt will be subjected to various twists and other strains in being fed to the gun in the different positions of the latter.

Sustained fire of a considerable period of time requires belts of considerable length and the relatively rapid rate'of fire at which this type of gun is operated results in imposing fairly heavy stresses on the links during operation of the gun. Due to these relatively heavy stresses, it is found that not infrequently the single or hinge loop of one or more of the links will open up, resulting in an increase in the distance between the adjacent cartridges, and when this portion of the belt reaches the gun, the latter will be temporarily disabled.

The object and general nature of the present invention is the provision of an ammunition belt of the metallic disintegrating link type, in which the links are provided with ribs associated with the hinge loop of the link so as to strengthen the latter and keep it from opening up under excessive loads, but without requiring any mechanical interlocking arrangement between the ends of the single loop of the link. Specifically it; is a feature of this invention to provide a form of metallic link for disintegrating belts in which radially inwardly extending ribs are provided so as, first, to increase the strength of the loops and second, to provide for materially increasing the flexibility of the beltbut without excessive looseness' between the hinge loops and the cartridges associated therewith. Heretofore strengthening ribs have been provided but such ribs have been arranged to extend radially outwardly, whereas, according to the present invention extending the rib radially inwardly secures not only the desired increase in strength but also provides for relative rocking movement of the link with respect to the associated cartridge-without, however, causing any undesired change in the pitchdistance between the adjacent cartridges.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a blank. from which a metallic cartridge belt link, embodying the present invention, is formed;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the completed link;

Figure 3 is a side view of the link shown in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a view showing the flexibility of a cartridge belt made up of links of the form shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Referring now more particularly to the several figures of the drawings it will be noted that the completed. link as best illustrated in Figure 2 comprises a pair of cartridge gripping loops 48 and 49 connected together in spaced apart axially aligned relation by a connecting section 46, the loops 4B and 49 both. extending from the same side (Figure 2) of the connecting section 46. Extending from the other side of the connecting section 46 is a hinge or intermediate loop 50, the width of which is such that it may be disposed between the cartridge gripping sec- Y relative to said hinge loop.

tions of the next adjacent The cartridge gripping loop 49 is of cylindrical configuration while the other cartridge, gripping loop 48 is formed so as to include a flared section a and a short cylindrical section b, by virtue of which the loop 48 is adapted to grip the neck portion of a cartridge. This form of the invention is similar to that shown inthe co-pending application filed by Howard B. Holroyd, Serial No.

450,779, filing date July 13, 1942, to which refer V ence may be made if necessary. For reasons which are explained in detail in the Holroyd ap-' gripping loops and being so proportioned as to enable said hinge loop to fit loosely between and coaxially with the cartridge gripping loops :plication, in this form of the invention, each of U I the cartridge gripping and hinge loops is formed by two curved arms or extensions which are joined to the base or connecting section 50. V

The blank for this link is shown in Figure 1. The two cartridge gripping loops 48 and 49 are made up of two sections 48a and48b, and 49 and 49b, respectively. The central or hinge loop 50 is made up of two sections 5| and; 52 which, during manufacture, are formed with inwardly extending ribs 54 and55 (Figure 2). 54 and55 extend radially'inwardly, the ends of each terminating adjacent one another, as shown in Figure 3. The radially inwardly extending portions of the two ribs 54 and 55 lie in a circle, the diameter of which is only slightly greater'than the diameter of a cartridge case (see Figure 4), but the general diameter'of the hinge loop 50 is somewhat larger than the cartridge; Therefore, when the belt is assembeld,

as shown in Figure 4,the ribs 54 and/or 55 form 'ciples of the present invention have been incorporated, it isto be understood that the present invention is not to belimited to the particular details shown and described above but that in fact widely different means may be employed in the broader'aspects of'this invention.

What is claimed is: 1 w

1. A cartridge belt link comprising a body portion, a pair of spaced coaxial cartridge gripping loops extending from said body portion at one side-thereof, an integral hinge loop'axially parallel to said gripping loops and extending in the opposite direction 'from said body portion in alignment with the space between said spaced gripping loops, the inside diameter of said hinge loop being substantially larger than The ribs 'of an adjacent similar link, body portions joining said hinge loop to said cartridge gripping loops,

, the parts of each of saidloops remote from said the diameter of the associated cartridge case, I

as the diameter of the associated cartridge case,

whereby the latter. may rock between limits 2. A cartridge belt. link comprising a pairof axially spaced cartridge engaging loops, a connectingsection connecting said loops, and an oppositely extending hinge loop having two generally semicircular discontinuous ribs extending radially inwardly of said hinge loop and lying generally ina circle whose diameter is subsaid hinge loop and said cartridge gripping loops each being split substantially along the line 'where a plane containing the axes of all said vloops intersects the, parts of each of said loops remote from said body portions, the inside diameter of said hinge loop being substantially largerthan'the diameter of theassociat'ed cartridge case, and a generally arcuate interior rib means disposed on the inside of said hinge loop and having an inside diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the associated'cartridge case whereby the latter may rock between limits relative to said hinge loop.

4. A cartridge'belt link comprising a'plurality of generally cylindrical coaxially spaced apart cartridge gripping loops, a 'generally cylindrical cartridge hinge loophaving its axis substantially parallel with the axis of said cartridge gripping loops, said cartridge hinge loop being so spaced said cartridge gripping loops, said hinge loop 7 and said cartridgegripping loops each being split substantially along the line where aplane containing the axes of allsaid loops intersects body portions, the inside diameter of said hinge loop being substantially larger than the diameter ofthe associated cartridge case, said hinge loop having at least two generally semicircular discontinuous ribs'extending radially inwardly of said hinge loop and lying generally in a circle whose diameter is substantially equal to the diameter of the associated cartridge case, whereopposite direction from said body portion in alignment with the space between said spaced gripping loops, the inside diameter of said hinge loop being substantially larger than the diameter of the associated cartridge case, and generally arcuate interior rib means disposed on the inside of'said hinge loop, said rib means being generallysemicircular in cross section and lying in a plane substantially midway between'theo'pen ends of said hinge loop and having'an inside diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the associated cartridge case, whereby the latteremay rock between limits relative to said hinge loop. a a r 6,; A cartridge belt link comprising a plurality of axially spaced cartridge engaging loops, a body portion connecting said, loops, and an oppositely extending hinge loop having at least two generally semicircular discontinuous ribs extendingradially inwardly of said hinge loop and lying generally in a circle whose diameter is substantially equal to the diameter of the associated cartridge case, each of said ribs tapering flatly into the periphery of said loop adjacent the sides 

